Colossians 1:28-29: A good reminder of why I am a pastor
Yesterday, I received a wonderful blessing during my personal Bible study. While studying the book of Colossians, I was reminded of St. Paul’s mission statement. In Colossians 1:28-29, the apostle declared, “We proclaim [Christ], warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me.” This declaration of purpose served as the what, why, and how for his work as an apostle, helping to guide what he would (and would not) do, reminding him of its importance when things grew difficult, and explaining how it was even possible. Today, this declaration serves a similar purpose for pastors and other ministers.
What we do: We proclaim Christ.
It pronounces what we are supposed to be doing: “We proclaim him.” Him, of course, is Christ, the only author and perfector of our faith. This would seem obvious, but there are many ministers who are far more interested in proclaiming themselves or something other than the gospel of Jesus Christ. Indeed, Paul warned the Colossians in the next chapter against those who would “deceive you with arguments that sound reasonable” (2:4) and “[take] you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition [and] elements of the world, rather than Christ” (2:8). Indeed, if we are not careful, we may easily proclaiming someone other than Christ and something other than the gospel. We must proclaim him.
Going on to the next phrase, the apostle offers some specifics: We proclaim Christ by “warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom.” There are four things that I would point out about this. First, notice that the apostle does not prescribe a specific method. Preaching, Sunday School, small groups, direct admonition, books, letters, songs, art, and more are all allowed. Second, observe that there will be times when we warn. Warnings are intended to keep people from wandering into areas where they ought not be. Third, the apostle realized there were other times when we will teach. Teaching communicates the right way to do things. Fourth, we do all of this “with all wisdom.” Throughout Scripture, wisdom is akin to godliness. Putting this all together, then, we are to warn people from things that will make them less godly and teach them to do things that will make them more godly, and we can do these things using an almost infinite variety of methods.
Why we do it: so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
As important as it is to know what we do, though, it is even more important to know why we do it. We proclaim Christ, Paul says, “so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” There are two ways this “why” helps us.
First, it acts as a sort of filter. Invariably, when things are going well, someone will suggest that there is something more we can do. In my twenty years of vocational ministry, these suggestions have ranged from buying a bus to launching a college outreach to planting a community garden to… The list is almost endless. In these situations, comparing the suggestion to the “why” statement has been invaluable in making a decision. The process is simple. Whenever someone floats an idea for what more you can do, simply ask, “Will it help me present everyone mature in Christ?” If the answer is yes, then that option bears further exploration. If the answer is no, then you can discard it immediately.
Second, this “why” statement acts as a reason to get back up again. You see, sooner or later, something will happen that makes you want to quit. The cost will be too high, the pain to great, and the hassle too much. You will suffer a blow that knocks you off your feet, and it will be tempting to stay down. In that moment, remembering this “why” statement should compel us back to our feet. Indeed, this statement is a reminder that, outside of Christ, our friends, families, coworkers, and neighbors are condemned to eternal death in hell. Moreover, no believer should be content with a life of mediocrity. A minister’s purpose in life is to help those around him/her be as Christ-like as they can be. This should get our hearts pounding, our teeth clenching, and our feet moving again.
How we do it: with his strength that works powerfully in me
Indeed, Paul’s resolve echoed in the words of verse 29. “I labor for this,” he declared, “striving…” Two words in this declaration catch my attention: labor and strive both indicate that he is facing resistance and difficulty. Indeed, the trouble Paul encountered during his life is well-documented. Consider his own account of his sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11:24-27:
Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers; toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing.
If we are honest, most of us would acknowledge that any one of these challenges would have left us lying on the mat. Even with the most compelling “why,” our strength only goes so far, and this is why the last part of verse 29 is so important. You see, it was not Paul’s strength alone that compelled him forward. No, it was the strength of Christ working powerfully in Paul that enabled him to go on when it seemed impossible.
This sort of strength is well beyond ourselves. Too often, pastors and ministers endeavor to do things in their own power, but that is not the way we were intended to work. Specifically, there are two ways we must harness the power of God. The first is more prayer. In Mark 9, Jesus’ disciples thought they had figured out how to drive out demons until they encountered one that would not listen. When they asked Jesus what went wrong, he told them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer” (Mark 9:29). For all the talents, skills, and resources at our disposal, there are still some things that happen only by prayer. They are exclusively in the purview of God, and we must lean on his strength to see them done. The second way to harness the power of God is by leveraging the people of God to do the things of God. As humbling as it is, pastors and ministers must allow the congregation to minister to them from time to time. So also, we must allow the congregation to do the primary ministry of the church. Remember, our job is to “equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12), not to “entertain the saints by doing the work of the ministry.” Ministry is not a spectator sport, and God designed the church to be the Body of Christ, with each of its members working together to accomplish the mission of making more and better followers of Jesus.
This sort of strength is also already working powerfully in us. When we said yes to God’s call on our lives, we joined the ranks of Moses, Joshua, and other men and women whom God has used mightily throughout history. To these, God promised, “I will be with you” (11x in the CSB) and “I will never leave you or abandon you” (Hebrews 13:5), and he remains the God who parted the Red Sea, drove out the Canaanites, enabled Caleb to singlehandedly claim Hebron, delivered his people from King Jabin of Canaan, and defeated 135,000 Midianites with 300 farmers armed with trumpets, lamps, and torches. He empowered David to slay Goliath, rained down fire to consume the offering when Elijah called from Mount Carmel, and sent innumerable horses and chariots of fire to rescue Elisha from the Arameans. It is exciting to remember such things when things are going well, but when they are not, it is easy to forget this same God is the one who promised to make Ezekiel’s “forehead like a diamond, harder than flint” so he could persevere when the so-called people of God refused to listen (Ezekiel 3). He also promised to revive the dry and scattered bones of his people in Ezekiel 37, even after Ezekiel scoffed at the notion that it could be done. Sometimes, it is hard to believe that God’s strength is powerful at all, let alone that it is working powerfully in us. Yet, Paul’s words remind us that, even when things are going slowly or poorly or not at all, God is not done yet, and his strength is working powerfully, even now, in us.
With the what, why, and how of Colossians 1:28-29, we can sing with the hymnist, “Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow: blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!” Then, we can take God’s hand, allow him to pull us back onto our feet, and rejoin the fight.